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Nov 04, 2004 20:42




America, Politics, and God

America is a country rooted in religion, and after 9/11 our faith and our religious tendencies strengthen. The Bay Area in which I am lucky to call my home, is quite different than the average America. Around the Bay Area religion isn’t something that is really practiced with vigor and it’s not a part of everyday life. After 9/11 nothing really changed in the Bay Area concerning religion. But religion is part of being an American. I’m not saying in anyway, shape, or form that the Bay Area residents or people who really don’t practice a structured religion are any less American. The Bay Area is just as patriotic as people who go to Church in the South, but we show our patriotism in different ways than the average American. This election is said to be won because of the Religious and Cultural vote. Upon hearing this I became increasingly interested in the issues concerning America, politics, and God.

Personally I am not a person who can really identify in any structured religion. I was raised-well somewhat-as a Catholic. I went to Catholic school for a few years, was baptized Catholic, and was taught the basics of the religion. But ever since I changed from Catholic school to Public school I have forgotten many of the prayers and the rules of being a "true" Catholic. Personally, I am a woman with a strong faith in people, myself, and God. I believe in God, Saints, Angels, Heaven, and forgiveness. So maybe I am a true Catholic and don’t even know it. However, I am also a big believer in "I’ll do my thing, you do your thing." I’m a person who likes to be left alone. I don’t like when Government tells me I can’t do something. The words "ban" and "censor" are the two words that shouldn’t be said around me, unless you want me to rant and rave for twenty minutes. My whole philosophy is that I believe in what I believe, you believe in what you believe-and we both get to sleep at night. I’m not going to spend my whole life trying to ban something for someone else, or say that person is evil, stupid, ungodly, and unpatriotic if someone doesn’t agree with me. It’s not worth my time, it’s not worth the energy, and it’s completely irrational. We believe in what we need to believe to carry on, I don’t even think we need to be right about our philosophy, we just have to have one to have a reason to carry on. A reason to live, a reason to die, and a reason to wake up in the morning. That is why religion exists. It exists to answer questions that can’t be answered, and to get you through this crazy thing called life without losing your sanity. So let people believe in what they need to believe, and be rational about what your asking Government to do because of your religious beliefs. Right now three controversial issues are being discussed and it’s all because of religion that they are so controversial-and that’s not necessarily a bad thing-Stem Cell research, Abortion, and Gay Marriage.

Gay Marriage - What should we do about it?
I understand perfectly the arguments against Gay Marriage. I myself have had my questions and moments of confusion about the issue. I would be lying to you if I said I was perfectly 100% fine with it. What’s important to me is getting Gay couples the benefits they deserve regardless the action. To me someone’s well being is more important than the beliefs that I hold. Because I don’t think about myself alone, it’s how I’ve been raised. Tradition is important, people like to call me "untraditional" even though I’m not. My thinking maybe untraditional but the way I live is very traditional. I’m someone who believes marriage is forever, and I would never get a divorce. If I ever do get a divorce you know it happened because something horribly wrong went down. I only keep the most loyal of friends around me. I want a big family, and I plan to take my kids to church while they’re young and let them decide whether they want to continue it or not when they are old enough. I am very much traditional in my life, and very untraditional in the way I talk, the way I think, and the way that I’m ok with pretty much every lifestyle unless it directly effects me negatively. But I believe that when two people love each other (any two people) they deserve respect, they deserve some kind of acknowledgment, they deserve visitation rights if they’re lover is sick, aid for adopted kids or biological kids, they deserve every single right that any human deserves. And we need to find a way to get them those rights. I don’t care if it’s a marriage, a Civil Union, or a new thing we come up with. We need to figure out someway to get Gay people the rights they deserve. That is where I stand on this issue.

Eleven states in the recent election passed the amendment to ban Gay marriage and with that Civil Unions as well. I understand perfectly how the South and the Mid West feel. They want to make sure that Marriage is sacred, that Marriage is still a respected institution. But does that mean we should ban divorce? There was also a time when a black man and a white woman couldn’t get married. Did that hurt marriage? All I’m asking for people on this issue is to understand that Gays need and must have the rights they deserve, and we as a nation need to figure out some system to give that to them without damaging in most Americans minds the sanctity of marriage. We need to stop being selfish and start being real about this issue.

Embryonic Stem Cell Research
There was a time when the religious right in this country made a big deal about blood transfusions. They said that when giving or accepting blood from or to another you are simply selling your soul to them. And now millions and millions of people every single day are saved by using blood transfusions. Without blood donors, people wouldn’t have a chance to live through any kind of blood trauma. But thankfully science beat religion in that instance so that those millions could live. The battle of science vs. religion is hardly new or alarming. It is simply something we have to go through. Stem cell research in my opinion will follow in blood transfusions footsteps. A lot of noise then progressing to a lot of lives saved. And as for the people who think that using embryonic stem cells to save lives is killing an innocent baby they have the beauty of choice. When you are diagnosed with a brain tumor you get to choose whether or not you want to undergo embryonic stem cell treatment or not. Just like people who suffer tremendous blood loss can choose not to accept another person’s blood. Choice is-in my opinion- is American. This treatment has the potential to save millions of lives. It’s worth the money, time, and research to see if we can do it. But it won’t happen until the religious right see it for what it really is, which is medicine. And I’m praying that President George W. Bush will fund and support Stem Cell research. However, Bush is consistent in his beliefs and it probably won’t happen. This is the one time Bush needs to be a flip-flopper.

Abortion

Personally, abortion is a terrible thing and it is ending a life. I would never put myself in a position where I even have to think about abortion but if I did I wouldn’t get an abortion. Because I find it morally wrong and irresponsible. But I would never ever say to another woman that she is a baby killer, a immoral person, or tell her what to do with her life and her body. Because to me that is even more immoral. It’s not a easy decision, no one enjoys abortions. When you hear the term abortion no one giggles and smiles. It is a choice that desperate women make. Someone who doesn’t have enough money to raise a child or pay for the medical needs to have a healthy baby to put up for adoption. It is for the teenager who has made a huge misjudgment and landed herself in a horrible position. Between becoming a mother at the age of thir-teen, becoming a legal adult, and being kicked out of her house. Anyone who has had an abortion will tell you it was a hard decision and they were crying and a total mess about it. I’m sure there’s those few people who abuse the system. But the majority of people use abortion as a desperate measure in a desperate time. And we should never take it away. No one is anti-life. No one. Pro-Life people call us baby killers and godless people. I find pro-life people to be people who try to impose laws on other people based on their personal beliefs. It’s not right, and I don’t stand for it.

There’s so many things that would be a mess if we were to ban abortion now. Doctors would be thrown in prison. Mothers will find any means necessary to get an abortion even if it means unsanitary and dangerous conditions. And whenever I hear a true pro-life person talking about banning abortion I always get the urge to say something to them. What I urge to say is this "if you want to ban abortion. Do it. I dare you to. Then it’s your job to deal with how to prosecute the doctors. What to do with the mothers. How your going to stop teen mom suicides and deaths because of faulty and unclean abortions. If you can take care of all that. Then by any means do it." And that’s the honest truth. Banning abortion does more harm than moral good. And we shouldn’t even be fighting over whether to ban it or not. How simple minded can we be. We should always keep abortion legal and we should fight about how to fund it. Republicans will argue that "Abortions are wrong, it’s killing a baby, I do not want my tax dollars going to such a immoral practice". And Democrats will argue "the majority of people who get abortions are teenagers and women in poverty. They don’t have the resources to pay for abortions therefore we should fund abortion clinics for those who can’t afford it." That should be the debate. Not ban or not to ban. What are we puritans?

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My point is we are the greatest nation in the world. And one of the reasons we are so great is that we are so full of faith, hope, and optimism. And all those traits run deep in all our blood. And the reason for it is because of religion. But we need to compromise our beliefs to help others, we need to make sure that Government protects us, keeps our economy strong, keeps our kids educated, and protects our rights. Not legislate religious laws or amendments. I am a very patriotic person, I love this country. Because I would be shot in any other country-except Canada-and that is why I love this country because I really don’t want to go to Canada. Religion is a part of our lives just like our love for the underdog, the lone hero, and the outcasts. But we need to balance are religious beliefs with open-mindedness and rational thought. That is my belief. So I end this very long look at America, Politics, and God with a "God Bless America". And watch the Daily Show 11 pm on Comedy Central. (That was so off subject but oh well).

May we always have a choice to live our lives how we want. May we always have the choice to have an abortion. May we always have a choice of what to read and watch on television. May we always have a choice in what to believe or not to believe. And may we always have a choice to choose life over death. Choice is American. Choice is what we should all be fighting for.
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